Vermont Drive-In

W. 177th Street,

Gardena,
CA90248

I worked at the Vermont in 1987 trained in management after working there one month. Ushers helped direct traffic out, helped assist locating restroomsand kept people from staying parked after the movie was over because it was a liability hazard to let people stay parked after hour. Ushers also carried a portable battery pack to jump start cars that had a dead battery.

Vermont had many things about it that most people didn't know, like that theatre was Michael and Jerome Foremans only theatre that all the monies made their went into their personal bank account, pacific use to own Baskin Robbins, the Giant, Ralphs and tons more businesses. Pacific use to own everything on N.Robertson Blvd. In LA. I keep saying use to because I don't know currently what they own. A theatre chain called Syoofy (sic) mainly in Arizona was owened by an Asian guy who pacific helped him start the theatre, I'm sure pacific had shares or interest in the movie theatre. All L.A. pacific theatre hourly employees belonged to the Actors Guild union and yes some of these are general facts not just about Vermont.
I closed the Torrance Drive Inn in 198 last movie shown was Moon Struck with Cher, I also worked the Los Altos, Studio, Centinela and a few others. Pacific was a great company to work for in the 1980s and I miss it.

The Vermont was my favorite Make-Out spot in the 60s. What I found that ushers usually did at Drive-Ins was butt-in on that activity.

My most vivid memory of the Vermont was being there with a Girl one night in my almost Brand-New 1965 Corvair Corsa. Two drunks pulled into the next spot and proceeded to bump me with their door as they got the speaker. When I asked the driver to be careful, he said “Sure, Pal” and whacked it again. A little later, when both went to the snackbar, I got a Ballpean hammer out of my trunk and whacked their front fender a few times. Then, I quickly left.

@ JustOldBob……dude, you remember the swings?! I remember playing on the swings and see-saw in my pj’s just as dusk was setting in…then we settled to see one of the scariest movies ever. “JAWS”…I saw Jaws @ the Vermont when I was about 8 years old…traumatized for life.

There are some interesting aerial views on this site. You can see that in 1972 there was one screen facing Vermont, but in the 1980 photo the screens have been moved as it was then a triplex. Also in the 1972 photo you can see the Ascot race track a few blocks to the south. Enter the theater address to see the photos.View link

I’m curious as to how the featured theaters are selected.The Vermont seems to turn up on a regular basis. Also, it seems that only the earlier added theaters that have a photo get to be featured theaters. Inquiring minds want to know.

Repeating decades-old complaints, residents near the Vermont Drive-In begged the Gardena Planning and Environmental Quality Commission this week to shut it down, saying noise and traffic from its weekend swap meet have made life unbearable. At a continuation of a public hearing begun in January, about 25 residents of 182nd and Rumbold streets and Vermont Avenue filed into the council chambers Tuesday night to complain of traffic congestion, automobile and early morning vendor noise, and swap meet patrons who litter and urinate on residents' lawns.

Residents said they can’t enjoy leisurely weekends or allow their children to play outside because of the many swap meet patrons who traipse through their neighborhoods every Saturday and Sunday. Some residents said they haven’t been able to sell their homes because of proximity to the swap meet. While most of the complaints concern the 25-year-old, 800-vendor swap meet, open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, residents also complained of honking horns and traffic noise from weeknight movie customers. Officials of the 50-year-old drive-in at 17737 S. Vermont Ave. said they have had workers diligently pick up trash, prohibited walk-in patrons and hired off-duty police officers to direct traffic. Jay Swerdlow, general manager for Pacific Theaters, said he went through nearby neighborhoods last Sunday and saw no signs of swap meet patrons, urination or litter.

I worked at the Vermont Drive-in in the early 70s. It was owned by Pacific Theatres back then. The manager was Al scriner (not sure how its spelled. It was my first job. Every weekend, I work at night and the Swap meet during the day.

“The Vermont was showing adult films in the early 70s, according to this LA Times ad"
Just for that week,Ken. That double bill played at other mainstream theatres.It continued to show regular movies till it closed.